Hey guys! Here is the twentieth chapter of Tales of Asteria: Grand Voyage! Asbel and Richard begin their final clash against Van while Cheria assists her friends against the Elite Guard and Flynn turns the tide of battle. Hope you liked it. Only one chapter left!
Ch. 20 – Clash of Swords!
"This shall be our final battle!" Van hollered.
"Let's finish this!" Richard hollered.
"This is for all the people you killed, Van!" Asbel hollered.
Asbel and Richard began to clash swords with Van.
Both were holding up quite nicely against Van, who was impressed by their skill.
"Your reputation precedes you, King Richard." Van commented.
"I'm flattered." Richard said, sarcastically.
Richard took the initiative and went on the offensive.
- Sword Rain: Alpha! – Richard shouted.
Richard unleashed a barrage of sword thrusts against Van.
Van blocked all of them with ease.
"But still not enough to beat me." Van said.
"Then try this!" Asbel hollered, appearing behind Van.
"Clever." Van thought.
- Heaven's Wrath! – Asbel shouted.
Asbel delivered a barrage of kicks against Van before knocking him upwards.
Van quickly recovered and pushed Asbel back with force.
Asbel skidded and stopped next to Richard.
"Let's get him together!" Asbel hollered.
"Right!" Richard hollered.
- Lightning Strike! – Asbel shouted.
- Vengeant Fangs! – Richard shouted.
Combining their attacks, Asbel and Richard hope to overpower Van.
But Van was ready.
- Imperial Slaughter! – Van shouted.
Van released a burst of magical energy that overpowered Asbel and Richard's combined attacks.
Asbel and Richard were shocked.
But Van wasn't done, as the energy continued to extend until it hit Asbel and Richard, taking damage in the process.
Asbel and Richard were knocked down.
"S-Such power." Richard commented.
Asbel slowly got up using his sword as a medium.
"We can't give up." Asbel said.
Asbel and Richard stood up and fight Van once more.
XXX
Blown by an explosion, Yuri, Luke, Repede, Tear, Sophie, Jade, Rita and Liu were blown back and crashed.
Coming from the smoke are members of the Elite Guard, suffering little to no injuries at all.
"Owwwwie!" Rita hollered.
"These guys are too tough." Liu commented.
"No kidding." Jade said.
Tear, Sophie and Repede struggled to get up.
"Dammit." Luke muttered.
"We need a plan." Yuri said.
Yuri, Luke, Repede, Tear, Sophie, Jade, Rita and Liu are at the end of their ropes.
"It's over. Give up." Asch said.
Yuri gritted his teeth and stood up once more.
"Screw you." Yuri said.
Asch closed his eyes for a moment.
"Have it your way." Asch said.
The Elite Guard prepared another attack, as Yuri and his friends closed their eyes to prepare for the worst.
- Seraphic Bolt! – Cheria shouted.
Cheria unleashed a powerful lightning circle attack that catches the Elite Guard off-guard.
Cheria and Mieu appeared from one of the entrances to the inside.
"Are you guys alright?" Cheria asked.
"Master!" Mieu hollered.
Yuri, Luke, Repede, Tear, Sophie, Jade, Rita and Liu became extremely happy.
"Cheria! Mieu!" Yuri, Luke, Tear, Sophie, Jade, Rita and Liu shouted in unison.
Cheria and Mieu quickly went to their side.
- Healing Circle! – Cheria shouted.
Cheria quickly healed everyone's injuries.
"Let me help." Tear said.
- First Aid! – Tear shouted.
Tear quickly healed several injuries for insurance.
"You guys ready?" Cheria asked.
Yuri, Luke, Repede, Tear, Sophie, Jade, Rita and Liu nodded.
"Then let's get back in this fight!" Cheria hollered.
XXX
Outside on the battlefield, Hirgon and some of his remaining forces were facing impossible odds against the overwhelming might of Roxas.
Hirgon plowed through several soldiers before regrouping with his remaining men.
"We're losing ground, sir!" A Rohan capain hollered.
"What should we do?!" A Rohan soldier asked.
Hirgon couldn't answer right now.
"It's over, King Hirgon!" A Roxas captain hollered.
"Time to die!" A Roxas Battle Goliath hollered.
However, Hirgon suddenly smirked.
"You all fell for it." Hirgon whispered.
A barrage of arrows appeared out of nowhere, raining down hard on the enemy forces.
"What the hell?!" Several Roxas soldiers exclaimed in unison.
Many soldiers managed to block or dodge, but few weren't so lucky.
The soldiers on Hirgon's side were confused.
"Uh, sir – what's going on?" A Yilsse captain asked.
Hirgon smirked.
"Our ambush plan." Hirgon replied.
Soon enough, the forces led by Flynn came out of nowhere from the left and ambushed the enemy.
"It's a trick!" A Roxas captain hollered.
"They've got us surrounded!" A Roxas soldier hollered.
"Fall back!" Another soldier hollered.
"Don't think so!" Flynn hollered.
"Let's end this!" Hirgon hollered.
- Radiant Dragon Fang! – Flynn shouted.
- Crimson Tiger Fang! – Hirgon shouted.
Flynn and Hirgon unleashed their ultimate attacks and wiped out most of the enemy forces.
The allied forces of Rohan and Yilsse gained their second wind now!
"For Yilsse!" Flynn hollered.
"For Rohan!" Hirgon hollered.
"FOR ALTEA!" Flynn and Hirgon shouted.
The united soldiers let out battle cries as they railed under Hirgon and Flynn as they began to turn the tide of battle.
XXX
Back in the courtyard, Cheria, Yuri, Repede, Luke, Tear, Sophie, Jade, Rita and Liu continued to clash against the Elite Guard.
All nine were now gaining momentum in overpowering their foes thanks to their teamwork and training.
The Elite Guard couldn't believe their eyes.
"T-This can't be happening!?" Asch thought.
Asch repealed Yuri and Luke back and commanded his men to him.
"This is getting out of hand." Victoria said.
"You have a point." Sync said.
"How annoying." Legretta muttered.
"Why are we wasting our time with these maggots?" Largo asked, in an angry manner.
"Then let's end this with our best attack!" Asch hollered.
Victoria, Sync, Legretta and Largo nodded.
"It's time for you fools to die!" Asch, Victoria, Sync, Legretta and Largo hollered in unison.
Cheria, Yuri, Repede, Luke, Tear, Sophie, Jade, Rita and Liu became tensed.
"Looks like they're getting serious." Jade commented.
"This might be the big finish." Luke said.
"Then let's give it all we've got!" Yuri hollered.
"Yes! Asbel-kun needs us!" Cheria hollered.
"For Asbel!" Yuri, Luke, Tear, Jade, Rita and Liu hollered in unison.
"For Asbel-san!" Sophie hollered.
Repede barked in agreement.
Both sides began to prepare their ultimate techniques.
- Asterism Line! – Cheria shouted.
- Savage Wolf Fury! – Yuri shouted.
Repede attacked with Swift-paw Romp.
- Radiant Howl! – Luke shouted.
- Innocent Shine! – Tear shouted.
- Critical Blade! – Sophie shouted.
- Mystic Cage! – Jade shouted.
- Ancient Catastrophe! – Rita shouted.
- Demolition Driver! – Liu shouted.
- Rending Saber! – Asch shouted.
- Meteor Crash! – Victoria shouted.
- Akashic Torment! – Sync shouted.
- Prism Blade! – Legretta shouted.
- Brimstone Tempest! – Largo shouted.
Both Asbel's crew and the Elite Guard collided their attacks in a violent clash.
Both sides are giving it their all with their prides on the line.
But Cheria, Yuri, Repede, Luke, Tear, Sophie, Jade, Rita and Liu's desire to be by Asbel's side was stronger, causing their combined assault to overpower the Elite Guard's and defeat them all.
The Elite Guard were knocked out.
"We did it!" Luke and Rita hollered in unison.
"What a relief." Tear said.
Mieu, appearing out his hiding spot earlier before the battle began, flew to Luke with tears of joy.
"Now let's help Asbel-kun and Richard-san!" Cheria hollered.
The others nodded and quickly raced to the throne room.
Knocked on the ground, Asch could only think of his failure.
"Forgive me… Van-sama…" Asch thought.
XXX
Asbel and Richard were pushed back again.
Van appears to be more formidable than they imagined.
"Damn it." Asbel thought.
"If that's the best you two can do… then it's disappointing." Van explained.
"Oh yeah…" Richard said.
"My turn." Van said.
- Shining Blade! – Van shouted.
Van attacked Asbel and Richard with a powerful light sword attack.
But Richard quickly intervened despite taking some damage.
"Richard!" Asbel hollered.
"I-I'll be fine." Richard said.
"Really?" Van asked.
"You're going to wish you hadn't said that!" Richard hollered.
- Vertex Rose! – Richard shouted.
Richard attacked Van so many times a blue flower appeared, before snapping his fingers to make it explode.
Van took heavy damage but still stood.
"N-Not bad." Van said.
"But you've fell for it." Van said.
"What-" Richard said before being struck by multiple lances of light and exploded, causing the Yilsse king to collide with a wall before falling down.
"Richard!" Asbel hollered.
Richard was breathing by a thread.
Struck with anger, Asbel attacked Van recklessly.
- Void Sword! – Asbel shouted.
Asbel attempted to strike Van in rapid succession.
But Van blocked the sword (before the technique could connect) with his left arm suddenly changing a demonic shape of red with blue veins.
(A/N: Borrowing an idea from you, Nero)
Asbel was shocked.
"Don't feel too bad." Van said.
"This is the power of a demon!" Van hollered.
Van released a powerful blast of demonic force at Asbel and sent him to a wall very hard.
Cheria, Yuri, Repede, Luke, Mieu, Tear, Sophie, Jade, Rita and Liu arrived just to see Asbel fall alongside Richard.
"Asbel-kun!" Cheria hollered.
"Asbel!" Yuri, Luke, Mieu, Jade, Rita and Liu hollered in unison.
"Asbel-san!" Tear and Sophie hollered in unison.
Richard managed to get up despite his wounds.
"Glad to see you guys are here." Richard said.
Tear then glared at Van, also seeing his black hand.
"What have you done, nii-san?" Tear growled.
Van laughed in a sadistic manner.
"The hell's so funny?!" Yuri asked, in an angry manner.
Van stopped laughing.
"Sorry… but I don't have time to explain." Van explained.
"Time for you invaders to DIE!" Van shouted.
"Cheria, heal Asbel quickly!" Richard hollered.
Cheria hesitated but understood the situation and began using Nurse to heal Asbel.
"Everyone else! Hold him off!" Richard hollered.
"Right!" Yuri, Luke, Tear, Sophie, Jade, Rita and Liu hollered in unison.
Richard, Yuri, Repede, Luke, Tear, Sophie, Jade, Rita and Liu began to halt Van's defense while Mieu and Cheria quickly heal Asbel's wounds.
Only half-conscious from the beating he took, Asbel can only watch as his friends risk their lives for him without doing anything.
"What can I do? What can I DO?!" Asbel thought.
"I might help with that." A voice said.
XXX
Asbel woke his eyes in the same place he first fought Lambda.
"I'm here again." Asbel said.
"That is correct." Lambda said, appearing as the same shade as before.
Asbel and Lambda's shade glared at each other.
"If you think I'm gonna let you have my body, then no." Asbel explained.
"Don't you desire power?" Lambda asked.
"Why should you care?" Asbel asked.
Lambda's shade sighed.
"Impudent fool." Lambda muttered.
"I mean the power to protect your comrades!" Lambda hollered.
Asbel was taken aback by this sudden claim.
"Why? I thought you hated humans." Asbel explained.
"I still do. But I once heard you saying to treat me like an equal, did you not?" Lambda explained.
"Mere foolishness, yet your desire to protect the people you love after all you suffered!" Lambda hollered.
Asbel could only stand still as he listened.
"If you're that determined to win, then I'll only give you a fraction of my power you can access at any time." Lambda explained.
"However, it will only last for 12 minutes and will strain you once you're done." Lambda continued.
"So tell me… you will accept the power or not?" Lambda asked.
Asbel nodded, as the drive to protect the most important thing to him matters more.
"Very well." Lambda said.
"Go forth and succeed!" Lambda hollered.
A purple stream of power flowed into Asbel as the void soon disappeared in a flash.
XXX
Richard, Yuri, Repede, Luke, Tear, Sophie, Jade, Rita and Liu were defeated as Van began making his way to Cheria, Mieu and Asbel.
"T-This is it, isn't it?" Mieu asked.
"No… we can' give up!" Cheria hollered.
Cheria began to stand her ground.
"Be strong as you like, it makes no difference." Van said.
"It's over." Van said.
Van began to prepare for another blast from his demon hand.
But a purple burst of power interrupted.
Cheria, Mieu, Van and even Richard, Yuri, Repede, Luke, Tear, Sophie, Jade, Rita and Liu (who began to awaken all of a sudden) to see where it came from.
"A-Asbel-kun?" Cheria asked.
The source of that power came from Asbel, now stronger than ever as his eyes became light violet.
Seeing Asbel regaining his second wind, Richard, Yuri, Repede, Luke, Tear, Sophie, Jade, Rita and Liu began to get up and stand next to Asbel for the final clash.
(A/N: Acceleration Mode in the house!)
"Sorry to keep you guys waiting." Asbel said.
"Let's end this!" Asbel hollered.
The final clash is about to being!
Preview Skit:
Asbel: Everyone, I just want to say thank you.
Asbel: For standing by my side.
Yuri: You're the one who taught me there's always a better way in life.
Repede barked in agreement.
Luke: Wherever you go, I go.
Tear: Thank you so much for everything, Asbel-san.
Sophie: I'm truly grateful for giving me the reason to live, Asbel-san.
Jade: There's no better king to serve alongside than you.
Rita: You won't be alone when you become king!
Liu: You helped me before. So it's my turn to help you.
Cheria: We're all here for you, Asbel-kun.
Asbel: You guys are the best!
Asbel: Alright…
Asbel: Next time: Chapter 21 – A New Tale!
Did you enjoy it? It's almost done! And this was one of the longest chapters ever done.